Mali finds five more bodies in graves near ex-junta base

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Malian authorities have found five corpses in
army uniforms in two graves near the headquarter of a former
military junta during part of an investigation into officers who
briefly seized power in a coup in 2012.

The discovery brought to 30 the number of bodies dug from mass
graves around the junta headquarters in Kati, about 20 km (15
miles) north of the capital Bamako. Mali's new government is
trying to ascertain the fate of paratroopers who disappeared two
years ago after the coup.

A justice ministry official told Reuters the five bodies, one of
them a woman, were found on Sunday night.

"They had their hands tied behind them and were blindfolded," he
said.

All were wearing army uniforms, a military source said.

General Amadou Sanogo, who led the coup in March 2012, was
arrested and charged with complicity in kidnapping in November.

The government is under pressure to restore the state's authority
over the army and to root out northern separatists and Islamist
rebels who seized control of the northern two-thirds of the
country in the wake of the coup.

General Yamoussa Camara, a former defense minister during the
military rule, and three other senior junta officials were
arrested last week in connection with the investigation,
authorities said.